Jose Maria da Fonseca “Anticiclone”
WHY WE LOVE IT
- Anticyclones are centers of high atmospheric pressure around which the wind blows clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.
- Portugal lives under the effect of the Azores Anticyclone, a sub-tropical anticyclone that influences the country’s climate and, consequently, its very typical and distinctive terroir.
- The result is wine regions that are as different as they are unique, resulting in rich, elegant and surprising wines.
- Drink while young.
Varietal Composition: 74% Castelão, 26% Aragonês
Elaboration: Skin maceration at 28ºC
Tasting Notes: Notes of raspberry, blackberry, black beer, typical aromas of the young Castelão. Smooth and present tannins, with an end marked by red fruits. Long finish.
PRESS
2022 – 90 Wine Spectator (#65 Top 100 Wines of 2024)
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
Domingos Soares Franco is the first Portuguese winemaker to graduate from the highly regarded viticulture and enology program at the University of California at Davis. It has paid off. In March of 2021, he was named “Winemaker of the Year for Fortified Wines” by the wine publication “Vinho Grandes Escolhas.” Under his supervision, his team of winemakers make José Maria da Fonseca a pioneer in enology in Portugal and the world. Their winemaking heritage dates to 1834.
The story of José Maria da Fonseca, is the story of a family that goes back almost two centuries and more than seven generations and whose winemaking heritage dates to 1834. Soares credits his uncle, Antonio, and a small group of winemakers as the cornerstone of today’s Portuguese wine business.